Inspector Calls - Who is most responsible for the death of Eva Smith?

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Introduction

Marc Abraham 11/11/02 H/W Inspector Calls Who is most responsible for the death of Eva Smith? Introduction This essay goes into depth on people's responsibility and finally an opinion for who is most responsible for the death of Eva Smith. It goes through all five characters in the play and their responsibility for the death of Eva Smith and what each one of them could have possibly done to add to Eva Smith's desire to die. The characters responsibility for the death of Eva Smith: Arthur Birling He stuck with his wife Sybil and his daughter Sheila on their treatment towards Eva Smith. He probably had the least responsibility for the death of Eva Smith but still stuck with his wife on declining Eva Smith when she needed help and was pregnant and still stuck with Sheila when she made a complaint about Eva Smith for her supposedly laughing at her, which got her the sack, therefore she was unemployed, had no money and had nowhere to live. ...read more.

Middle

He saw Alderman Meggarty harassing her and went to her rescue. He took her for a drink and a meal because he pitied her and he learnt she was desperate and so let her use his friend's rooms. She then became his mistress and they were together for the whole summer of 1911. He finished with her and cast her aside because of his relationship with Sheila Birling. Although he was probably fond of Daisy, there was never going to be any future in the relationship because of the class differences. Gerald was the son of Lord and Lady Croft and would be expected to marry someone of similar social standing. This was more important in the early 1900's. Even Arthur Birling feels socially inferior and boasts about a possible knighthood to increase his own importance. Being rejected by Gerald was probably more hurtful to Daisy than the dismissals inflicted on her by Arthur and Sheila Birling because there were strong emotions involved. ...read more.

Conclusion

Despite being from a wealthy family, he has very little money of his own and is forced to steal to provide for her. When Daisy finds out where the money has come from she refuses to accept any more and ends contact with him. Daisy Renton was now homeless, had no money and was pregnant with a bay to whom the father she did not love and could not go back to him. Conclusion I think the person with the main responsibility for the death of Eva Smith is Eric Birling. After she broke away from him she was left completely on the edge with nothing except the burden of an unborn baby. If he had not stolen the money that he gave to her and got drunk and slept with her she would not have had to leave him and she would not have got pregnant with no money and nowhere to live. Since she had absolutely nothing after the relationship with Eric except and 'unwanted' unborn child, I think this was the situation that drove her to the edge to commit suicide-drink the bleach/disinfectant. 2 ...read more.

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mood on the day and I think this means the audience can sympathise with her. We all have bad days and Sheila is just unlucky that her temper caused her more problems than most. At the end she is one of the few people still feeling guilty instead of relieved

She had been one of his workers. He had discharged her from his employ because she and several others had organized a strike for better wages. Mr. Birling, regarding himself as a "hard headed man of business", refused and fired Eva.

likelihood of him receiving a knighthood (as he believes that he is in line for one in the not-so-distant future). The main reason that we can see that Mr. Birling is nervous about that is because he is asking a question of the inspector with that statement, what is almost

Eva Smith's Diary 15th September 1910 I have returned to working for long hours, in a dirty workplace and for hardly any money, and to be quite frank with you I am sick and tired with it. So I and everyone else have gone on strike.

The audience may doubt Mr. Birling has a good reason for sacking Eva Smith at this point. Mr. Birling gives more detail about his involvement. The foreman at the machine shop where Eva was said he was going to promote Eva Smith to a leading operator where she would supervise and take control of many employees.

I've half a mind to report you." Here the inspector proves unconcerned as Birling continues to abuse his position as ex-lord mayor and associate of the Chief of Police. After the Inspector's departure Birling admits that he has "learnt a lot" from his visit.

Sheila comes across as very remorseful as she says 'I felt rotten about it at the time and now I feel a lot worse'. She bitterly resents what she did as well promising that 'I'll never, never do it again'.

Although he obviously doesn't completely get through to her, she is beginning to feel scared of him and this makes it able for him to 'get the truth out of her' She is always very stubborn about her point. This is because it makes her feel justified.